After the Mark Stoops hire apparently wasn't good enough for Texas A&M fans, the Aggies opted to hire ACC Mark Stoops in Duke head coach Mike Elko. The only difference, of course, is that Elko has A&M roots, which should help his case with the fanbase.
Texas A&M is a classic case of a fanbase which doesn't understand its current predicament. The Aggies haven't been in serious College Football Playoff discussions...since its inception? While Texas is a recruiting hotbed, they're forced to compete with the Longhorns and more for control of top talent.
Elko is likely good enough to help improve Texas A&M's current standing in the conference some. However, he hasn't coached in the SEC at this level, and his familiarity with College Station will only get him so far. The challenge is immense, especially given the expectations A&M fans have on a yearly basis.
Mike Elko left Duke in the worst way possible
While Texas A&M fans are unlikely to care much, Elko may not be welcome back in Durham anytime soon. This isn't because Elko's services weren't appreciate while at Duke -- the Blue Devils improved quite well this year and are an ACC force to be reckoned with assuming they hire the right replacement. However, Elko left Duke's players high and dry, telling them he was leaving for A&M over a Zoom call.
Look, I work remotely. The majority of my communication with colleagues is done over video calls. However, some news is best delivered in person.
Duke's players -- especially those who Elko recruited -- committed to the Blue Devils based on his message and vision for the program. To go through this metaphorical breakup over Zoom is a terrible idea.
It should be noted that per the report above, many of Elko's players opted not to attend, which is all you really need to know about how this was handled.
